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Street Kids Memorial Opener Brings Smiles
to the Faces of Children
to the Faces of Children
| A special thanks to the Holly's/Miken Softball team for their kind donation toward the Memorial Opener '09. |
Special Thanks to:
Michael Stroud and Family
David Balentine and Family
Bob Maison and Family
Holly's/Miken Softball Team
Softball Fans
Teddy Panagakos
Belleville Softball Complex
Michael Stroud and Family
David Balentine and Family
Bob Maison and Family
Holly's/Miken Softball Team
Softball Fans
Teddy Panagakos
Belleville Softball Complex
South Bend, IN 5-17-09
by TJ Jorgensen
After rain postponed our original
opening date, on Sunday we were
finally able to start the Street Kids
Memorial Opener '09, the second
annual event held at the Belleville
Complex in South Bend.
Despite the brisk wind, it was a
perfect day to bring the children and
families from Memorial Children's
Hospital out to the ball park for
some fun, hot dogs and home runs!
The SKS team was set to play a
special exhibition game against the
by TJ Jorgensen
After rain postponed our original
opening date, on Sunday we were
finally able to start the Street Kids
Memorial Opener '09, the second
annual event held at the Belleville
Complex in South Bend.
Despite the brisk wind, it was a
perfect day to bring the children and
families from Memorial Children's
Hospital out to the ball park for
some fun, hot dogs and home runs!
The SKS team was set to play a
special exhibition game against the
Ro-Sham-Bo/SKS team, using high compression USSSA stadium softballs that
are made to fly far distances when struck well. But before the game would
begin, the children would come onto the field with both teams and take practice
- throw, run and hit just like we do!
After about 30 minutes of letting the kids play, everyone gathered around home
plate as we handed out some gifts to the kids, including Miken Sports back
pack bat bags, donated by Chuck Lane and the Hollys/Miken Softball team.
The kids also received special custom fit kids sized sport sunglasses,
compliments of SKS coach Teddy Panagakos. Finally, the kids received hats,
compliments of Jeff Tedder at Softball Fans in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
are made to fly far distances when struck well. But before the game would
begin, the children would come onto the field with both teams and take practice
- throw, run and hit just like we do!
After about 30 minutes of letting the kids play, everyone gathered around home
plate as we handed out some gifts to the kids, including Miken Sports back
pack bat bags, donated by Chuck Lane and the Hollys/Miken Softball team.
The kids also received special custom fit kids sized sport sunglasses,
compliments of SKS coach Teddy Panagakos. Finally, the kids received hats,
compliments of Jeff Tedder at Softball Fans in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
The kids took their gifts and made
their way back to the bleachers and
enjoyed complimentary hot dogs and
chips, courtesy of the Belleville
Complex concession stand. It was
now time for some big softball
action! Instead of normal softball
rules that usually feature seven home
runs per game, I decided to allow
five home runs per inning, taking
advantage of the stadium balls and
15-20 mile per hour wind blowing
out of the blue diamond. The plan
was to play a seven inning exhibition
game, with little defense being
played, allowing the "fans" to watch
some high scoring action. And that is
exactly what they got!
The SKS team put up eight runs in
the first inning, and the
Ro-Sham-Bo/SKS team countered
back with four on some long home
runs. By the time it was all over, both
teams combined for 44 home runs as
the SKS team beat RSB, 67-35. But
the game hardly mattered. It was all
about the fun today.
"It was great to see the kids running
the bases with the guys today," said
Joe Horvath of SKS. "You could tell
they were having a good time but it is
just as much fun for us to take the
kids out and have some fun with
them."
"Dillion is my little buddy with a very
large heart," said Mark Hershberger
of SKS. "He's a great kid."
"This is special to me to be a part of
what this organization stands for,"
said new SKS infielder Kalei
Enterline. "I'm happy the weather
finally cooperated for us to make the
trip from Fort Wayne. Seeing the
smiles on the faces of these children
really is a blessing to us. Dillion is a
special child - all of these kids are.
Believe me, before I ever got to
meet him, you can't imagine how he
has touched the lives of my
teammates."
Cindy, the mother of Dillion Weldy
our young friend who has battled
cancer since September of 2008 and
just recently found himself out of his
brace on a more full time basis,
made a comment on the message
board today. Here is what she wrote:
"I just wanted to personally thank
everyone that was involved with
today's event. The twins (Dillion and
Garrett) have not stopped talking
about it. Dillion loved every minute
of it. You all make him forget
everything that has happened to him.
This last year has been a rough year
for our family. Dillion's tumor
compressed his spine to the point
where he was temporarily paralyzed
from the waist down starting in
September of 2008. When he had
surgery on October 1st, we were
guaranteed nothing. Now look at
him, he may not be the fastest
runner, but he has a big heart. Other
than the scar on his back, you would
never be able to tell he has cancer.
"You make him forget it all when he
is around all of the guys. Garrett
loved it too, because it was like
practicing for his baseball games.
The boys loved running the bases
with the players too. Keep up all the
hard work on and off the field,
because you just don't know how
much you really help these kids.
Street Kids, you all will have a
special place in our hearts as you
have helped Dillion over come some
of his problems and help re-build his
self-esteem. I am not sure if we will
ever be able to thank you all enough
for everything that you have done."
To me, today was not just about
making these kids smile, or even
watching our guys playing with the
kids. The most important thing I got
out of today happened just before I
wrote this story, when one of the
players on the team called me and
said he will never be the same again.
He said he was almost in tears
coming home after taking part in this
event.
I have said it from the beginning...
Street Kids Care is not just about
spending time with sick children or
handing out gifts at Christmas time at
the Boys and Girls Club. Its about us
touching the lives of other people
and having THEM be inspired to go
out and want to make a difference
on their own. That is when real
change happens. A few years ago, a
friend asked me what I was aiming
to accomplish from starting Street
Kids Care (who thought it was a
waste of time), I simply said "to
change the world." He laughed at
me. Probably because his vision for
what I saw was so narrow, where I
saw the bigger picture. After what
we did with Sarah Clay a few years
back, my wife and I knew we could
be on to something much bigger, but
it would take sacrifice and hard
work. And even though people
continued to laugh at us, the
organization grew and so did our
desire to want to do more.
Today, after watching 28 softball
players on the field with children that
are battling or have beaten cancer, I
knew that, so far, I had
accomplished what I set out to do. I
was changing the world. Maybe not
what my friend thought I meant when
I said it years ago, but I think that
when 28 softball players lay their
heads on their pillows tonight they
are going to think about the lives they
touched today and how it made them
feel. I think that some of them will
think up until now, they may have felt
like they have not left their mark in
this world yet. That they had so
much more they wanted to
accomplish. But now, after reading
Cindy's comments about how
excited Dillion was about today,
these players are now taking with
them a new found spark in their lives.
One that was put their by Dillion,
Garrett, Timmy and the rest of the
kids at the park today.
When this player called me tonight
telling me how much today meant to
him, I smiled. I looked at my wife
and said "you see, Courtney. We are
changing the world. One player at a
time."
__________________________
their way back to the bleachers and
enjoyed complimentary hot dogs and
chips, courtesy of the Belleville
Complex concession stand. It was
now time for some big softball
action! Instead of normal softball
rules that usually feature seven home
runs per game, I decided to allow
five home runs per inning, taking
advantage of the stadium balls and
15-20 mile per hour wind blowing
out of the blue diamond. The plan
was to play a seven inning exhibition
game, with little defense being
played, allowing the "fans" to watch
some high scoring action. And that is
exactly what they got!
The SKS team put up eight runs in
the first inning, and the
Ro-Sham-Bo/SKS team countered
back with four on some long home
runs. By the time it was all over, both
teams combined for 44 home runs as
the SKS team beat RSB, 67-35. But
the game hardly mattered. It was all
about the fun today.
"It was great to see the kids running
the bases with the guys today," said
Joe Horvath of SKS. "You could tell
they were having a good time but it is
just as much fun for us to take the
kids out and have some fun with
them."
"Dillion is my little buddy with a very
large heart," said Mark Hershberger
of SKS. "He's a great kid."
"This is special to me to be a part of
what this organization stands for,"
said new SKS infielder Kalei
Enterline. "I'm happy the weather
finally cooperated for us to make the
trip from Fort Wayne. Seeing the
smiles on the faces of these children
really is a blessing to us. Dillion is a
special child - all of these kids are.
Believe me, before I ever got to
meet him, you can't imagine how he
has touched the lives of my
teammates."
Cindy, the mother of Dillion Weldy
our young friend who has battled
cancer since September of 2008 and
just recently found himself out of his
brace on a more full time basis,
made a comment on the message
board today. Here is what she wrote:
"I just wanted to personally thank
everyone that was involved with
today's event. The twins (Dillion and
Garrett) have not stopped talking
about it. Dillion loved every minute
of it. You all make him forget
everything that has happened to him.
This last year has been a rough year
for our family. Dillion's tumor
compressed his spine to the point
where he was temporarily paralyzed
from the waist down starting in
September of 2008. When he had
surgery on October 1st, we were
guaranteed nothing. Now look at
him, he may not be the fastest
runner, but he has a big heart. Other
than the scar on his back, you would
never be able to tell he has cancer.
"You make him forget it all when he
is around all of the guys. Garrett
loved it too, because it was like
practicing for his baseball games.
The boys loved running the bases
with the players too. Keep up all the
hard work on and off the field,
because you just don't know how
much you really help these kids.
Street Kids, you all will have a
special place in our hearts as you
have helped Dillion over come some
of his problems and help re-build his
self-esteem. I am not sure if we will
ever be able to thank you all enough
for everything that you have done."
To me, today was not just about
making these kids smile, or even
watching our guys playing with the
kids. The most important thing I got
out of today happened just before I
wrote this story, when one of the
players on the team called me and
said he will never be the same again.
He said he was almost in tears
coming home after taking part in this
event.
I have said it from the beginning...
Street Kids Care is not just about
spending time with sick children or
handing out gifts at Christmas time at
the Boys and Girls Club. Its about us
touching the lives of other people
and having THEM be inspired to go
out and want to make a difference
on their own. That is when real
change happens. A few years ago, a
friend asked me what I was aiming
to accomplish from starting Street
Kids Care (who thought it was a
waste of time), I simply said "to
change the world." He laughed at
me. Probably because his vision for
what I saw was so narrow, where I
saw the bigger picture. After what
we did with Sarah Clay a few years
back, my wife and I knew we could
be on to something much bigger, but
it would take sacrifice and hard
work. And even though people
continued to laugh at us, the
organization grew and so did our
desire to want to do more.
Today, after watching 28 softball
players on the field with children that
are battling or have beaten cancer, I
knew that, so far, I had
accomplished what I set out to do. I
was changing the world. Maybe not
what my friend thought I meant when
I said it years ago, but I think that
when 28 softball players lay their
heads on their pillows tonight they
are going to think about the lives they
touched today and how it made them
feel. I think that some of them will
think up until now, they may have felt
like they have not left their mark in
this world yet. That they had so
much more they wanted to
accomplish. But now, after reading
Cindy's comments about how
excited Dillion was about today,
these players are now taking with
them a new found spark in their lives.
One that was put their by Dillion,
Garrett, Timmy and the rest of the
kids at the park today.
When this player called me tonight
telling me how much today meant to
him, I smiled. I looked at my wife
and said "you see, Courtney. We are
changing the world. One player at a
time."
__________________________
